THURSDAY 28th/ JANUARY 2016.
Just a little lie in this morning as ‘Reina’
was due back with us for the day, she is also here tomorrow, she’s on a diet at
the moment and is sleeping a lot in her duvets, at lunchtime she pops down for
a little snack! Its a little overcast today and also cooler, we definitively
had the best two days ,so far this year, as we were out playing with David
& Jane down here on the ‘Costa Del Sol’ The forecast for Friday is looking
a little damp but then its picking up over the weekend.
We are having an at home day taking things
very easy after all the excitement of the past two days, this evening we are
having for supper my special ‘Manilva Tower Burger’ with twice-cooked ‘Frits’
So for today’s Blog I’ve posted some
pictures and written a little about the old “ Stork Hotel “ from my early days as a Trainee
Manager, Trainee Assistant Manager, Assistant Manager and finally a Senior
Assistant Manager/ Day Manager! All this was back in 1964/68 with my dear Spanish
friend from Madrid Rafael one step ahead of me! The hotel was on one side of ‘Queen
Square’ in front of the ‘Royal Court Theatre’
The wholesale Fruit/Flower & Vegetable
Market set up on the square overnight from 3-00am in the morning; my very first
job on my first day at the hotel, dressed in Pinstripes, Black jacket and stiff
White Collar & a Silver Tie was to come down the front steps and go and
order the goods for the chef from the market, I was greeted by one of the
Flower Market owners as he had known me from a child when I used to go down to
the market with my mother, who had two flower shops and my Uncle, her brother,
who was the ‘Head Florist’ at the famous ‘Adelphi’ Hotel for over 50 years! He placed a Red Rose in my lapel and from then
on I always wore a Rose in all my business suits ( Handmade ) for the next 40
years!!
My first ‘taste’ of hotel life was when I was taken into the Adelphi Hotel
through the kitchens on ‘Grand National Saturday’ and I saw 100s of chefs in their
tall white hats ( a Toque! ) working over the coal fired stoves!! My other
Uncle was a professional Carver on the Atlantic liners of the time, I still
have his Pearl handled Carving Knife & Fork!
The hotel was owned by an Irish family ‘ The
Clancy’s’ with the son Jack Jnr.- there during the week from 9-00am to 5.00pm only!
It was very busy with a Restaurant, Grill Room, Meeting and Function Suits, Stock
Rooms as well as a Lounge and a classic and famous Cocktail Bar; so all sorts
of business, all the time, with lots of famous celebrity’s/actors/ local
Gangsters and their ‘molls’ ladies that worked for pleasure and also the local
Gay Community from the surrounding famous bars ie, ‘ The Magic Clock’!!
The hotel
was run on classic lines with Bell Boys, a Head Hall Porter, Lounge Waiters, a
Head Waiter, a full Kitchen Brigade with still room maids etc.under the Head
Chef. The Housekeeping was mainly ‘live in’ chambermaids from across Europe
with the Reception staff also mainly from Austria! They lived in the old
Haymarket building opposite the hotel over looking St. John’s Gardens behind
St.Georges Hall.
See some pictures below, I will continue
the story on tomorrows Blog with some stories of the goings on back in the
60s!!
Thought for the Day, See above.
..
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